Esther 5: Reversals

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Reversals

In literature or movies, a reversal is a moment that starts to undo, or reverse, something that happened earlier in the story

One of my favorite examples is the seminal moment in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Aslan has offered himself as a substitute to die in place of Edmund, the traitor

Susan and Lucy, unable to sleep, follow Aslan from a distance and watch as he hands himself over to the witch to be killed

They weep and sob over him until they can take it no more and start to walk away when they hear noise and turn back to see Aslan resurrected

Susan and Lucy are a combination of astonished and confused as to how this could be when Aslan says...

Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know.  Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time.  But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned…she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.

“Death itself would start working backward”

I love that line - the start of the reversals in the story

Death was turned back to life

Endless winter gave way to spring

Wrongs would be made right

Most good and well-told stories have this sense of reversal where the opposite happens of what expected

Esther 9:1 “Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.”

Here, in our text this morning of Esther chapter 5, we see the beginning of a series of reversals in the narrative

Recap

With that, let me provide a quick recap of the story of Esther up to now

The egomaniacal, tyrannical king demanded his wife parade around for the guys at a party he was throwing

When she declines to come, she is banished from the king’s presence and removed as queen

The king’s advisors recommend he hold a contest to collect the most beautiful young women from around the king from which he could choose a new queen

He ends up choosing this beautiful, young Jewish girl, Hadassah, better known by her Persian name, Esther, as queen

Meanwhile, the king promotes this guy, Haman, to second in command of the whole kingdom

Haman, of course, loves it - especially since the king issued a demand that the people bow down in honor to him

Everyone does, except for one guy, Mordecai, who just so happens to be Esther’s cousin and adoptive father

When Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, Haman responded by calling for the extermination of all Jews throughout the Persian empire

Now, what Haman didn’t know - and no one knew - was that Esther, the queen, was also a Jew and subject to the same call for genocide

And here we see the big shift / growth in Esther where she moves from passive player to active in the story

Esther responds by offering to risk her life by going before the king uninvited in hopes of saving her people (even though no one yet knows she is a Jew)

Will she be killed? Or will the king receive her? All the Jews are in jeopardy, yet Esther, their potential savior, isn’t even safe herself…

And that is the cliffhanger that chapter 4 left us with…

Scripture Reading

Esther 5 ESV

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, in front of the king’s quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.” And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

Esther enters the presence of the king uninvited (Esther 5:1-5)

So if Esther 4 left us with a cliffhanger - what would happen when Esther enters the presence of her husband, the king? - now we are going to get an answer

Esther thoughtfully prepares to enter the king’s presence

Reversal: Vashti was banished for not coming when called for, Esther is going to enter king’s presence even though she had not been called for

Subtlety: Notice throughout what unfolds throughout these chapters the subtlety and skill of Esther, especially in contrast to Haman’s arrogant demanding

Haman went into the king and asked him to annihilate an entire people group

Esther is going to work slowly, deliberately.

Examples even of how she prepares herself:

Puts on royal robes

Enters from opposite the throne so that king will have full view of her beauty as she enters

She touches the tip of Xerxes’ scepter, acknowledging his welcoming of her and honoring him, but doesn’t rush to her real request

Xerxes is pleased to see Esther and welcomes her

With him offering her the scepter, her life is safe, positively resolving one of our outstanding issues (how will the king respond to Esther entering uninvited?)

Life, not death

Esther receives life, not death from the king

The Midrash (a Jewish commentary on the OT), in discussing this passage, highlights the 3 days of fasting, cross-referencing Hosea 6:2

Hosea 6:2 “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.”

Israel is never left in dire straights for more than 3 days

2 days are death, then life

This pattern of 2 days death, then life, should remind us of Jesus who “on the third day, he rose again” (Apostles Creed)

Queen, not criminal

Reversal: Esther is received not as a criminal, but as the queen

All who risk everything for the sake of God’s kingdom will find that they are welcomed into the presence of the good king

Moreover, through Christ, we are invited into the presence of the Good King, we don’t have to appear before him wondering how he will respond

Queen Esther

Up till now, Esther referred to as “Esther”

Only once before this is she referred to as “Queen Esther”

2:22 in reporting the plot to assassinate Xerxes

Esther 5:3 “And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.””

Starting here in 5:3, term “Queen Esther” used 16 times in remainder of story

Xerxes’ offer

Xerxes not only receives Esther, he makes her an offer

It’s clear to him (and everyone else too, I presume) that you don’t risk your life by appearing before the king uninvited unless something important is weighing on you

Esther 5:3 “And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.””

This same offer of up to half the kingdom occurs 3 times in Esther

5:3; 5:6; 7:2

Xerxes makes another similar offer to fulfill her request in 9:12

This is a common request that kings made to show their magnanimous generosity

C.f. story of John the Baptist’s beheading in Mark 6:22 where Herod offers up to half his kingdom

Aside: No one, presumably, would be foolish enough to actually ask for half the kingdom, but it makes for a great gesture

Note: Observe the effect of Esther’s subtlety

By offering up to half his kingdom 3 separate times, when she finally gets around to revealing her request, how could he say no?

In some ways, repeating this offer binds him to honor her request

Esther’s invitation

Esther invites her husband, the king (Xerxes) and his top lieutenant / trusted advisor, Haman, to a feast

Again, note the subtlety: Esther is working this like a skilled strategist

Her invite: “If it please the king…” (5:4)

King accepts Esther’s dinner invitation

Esther 5:5 “Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked.” So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared.”

After all, if we have seen anything, it’s that Xerxes and Haman aren’t ones to pass up a party and an excuse to have a nice glass (or 7) of wine

Xerxes calls go get Haman quickly and bring him to the party

Implication: Haman is not there when Esther puts her plan in motion

Esther’s Feast: Take One (Esther 5:6-8)

Esther 5:6–8 ESV

And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

After dinner, they were drinking wine (again)

Implication: It is then, with several drinks in Xerxes that the following occurs

King again offers up to half his kingdom to Esther

Even he is clear that she wouldn’t have risked her life just to invite him to dinner

Note: Observe the parallel structure between his offer and his response

“What is your wish? … What is your request? …” (5:6)

“My wish and my request is…” (5:7)

“If it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request…” (5:8)

Esther appears ready to share her request, then changes midstream

The way the Hebrew is written suggests she was about to share her true request, then called an audible mid-sentence

See the strange transition between verses 7 and 8

Esther 5:7-8 “Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.””

Maybe she got scared, maybe she decided the timing wasn’t right, maybe she was just further baiting the hook to peak his curiosity

Instead she invites both Xerxes and Haman back for another party the next night

Xerxes obviously accepts because he is really curious what Esther is up to

This one extra night proves instrumental in God’s timing in the whole story

Where is God?

As we have noted before in Esther, the name of God is never mentioned

And yet, God is faithfully, providentially, sovereignly ordaining all things that occur throughout this grand narrative

We can ask, where is God even in this passage?

Without jumping ahead into chapter 6, the night between Esther’s two parties is pivotal in the narrative as the king is reminded of Mordecai saving his life

Even something like Esther reconsidering the timing of her request is all part of God’s providential plan to move all the pieces into place to save and to redeem his people

If the most famous verse in Esther is the “for such a time as this” (4:14), then its parallel is over in Romans

Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God is working all things to his glory and to the good of his people

Sometimes, maybe often, we can’t see it

But his plan is always right on schedule

And never more so than when, at just the right time, or as Galatians 4:4 says, in the fullness of time, Christ died for us

Haman Plots Against Mordecai (Esther 5:9-14)

Esther 5:9–14 ESV

And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

Haman left the party on cloud 9

Why wouldn’t he? He was just the exclusive guest at a private dinner with the king and queen, and was invited back again the next night?

That delight is short lived as he is filled with anger when he sees Mordecai

Haman follows his great party by throwing himself a pity party

Haman tries to get his wife and friends to make him feel better

He tells them how great he is, how wealthy he is, how important he is

My favorite part: He recounted “the number of his sons” which, presumably, his wife already knew…

Their advice: a 3-step plan

Step 1: build gallows

Step 2: in the morning, go ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on the gallows

Step 3: go have fun with the king and queen

Esther 5:14 “Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.”

Aside on Good Counsel

Well of course it pleased Haman - they told him exactly what he wanted to hear

Mike, our Director of Student Ministries, often says, “Tell me what I want to hear and tell me what I need to hear.”

That may not be simple - after all, which of us wants to hear hard things - but it is incredibly wise

If the people around you only tell you what you want to hear, you need to find new counsel

Here we have the people around Haman just telling him what he wanted to hear and not what he needed to hear

Great opportunity for all of us to pause: Who in our lives is telling us what we need to hear?

So he had the gallows built that night

1 cubit = 18 inches

So 50 cubits = 75 feet

That is a tall gallows, designed to show off

Approach Boldly

Ahaseurus’ (King Xerxes) official title was Shahanshah, meaning “King of Kings”

And it was to risk one’s life to enter the throne room of this king

But we know he was not the true King of kings

He lived, he reigned… and then he died

His power, his authority, his fame, his wealth - all gone

We serve the true King of kings

The One was was, and is, and will be forevermore

The One whose reign shall never end

The One who has invited us into his presence

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Unlike Esther, who risked her life to enter the presence of a king, we have been invited into the presence of the Great King, the King of kings

And we enter not timidly, not unsure… but with confidence

And why? Because of the great reversal that happened in the tomb

In Narnia, the witch thought she won

She had, after all, killed Aslan

What could stop her?

It was the lion who was slain that could stop her in that story by even death itself working backward

For us, it was the death… and the victorious resurrection... of the Lion of Judah - Jesus Christ - the Great King - that has made a way into the presence of the God and has assured us that we will be received in his presence

Because there, in the invited, welcoming throne room of God Almighty, there is mercy and grace for you, and for me

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